Down in The Underground
by ShyIntrovert
Summary: Sequal to the Labyrinth. It follows Reflections in the Escher room. (This story is incomplete, and likely to remain so).
1. While my pretty one sleeps

Down in the Underground

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Author's Note: This is a sequel to "Reflections in the Escher Room" although it can be read independently. I began to wonder if there was a purpose behind the Labyrinth, besides amusing a bored Jareth. He seemed to have a lot of goblins and I couldn't see why he'd be so interested in Toby. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my last story. The encouragement meant a lot to me.

Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and everyone else in this story aren't mine. They belong to Jim Henson and I've borrowed them for a while. 

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She looked lovely, lying there bathed in the moonlight, her black hair streaming over her body and the tear marks which covered the visible portion of her face only adding to her delicate beauty. Her face still had some of the vagueness of childhood, her cheekbones not yet fully defined. What a Paladin she would make, the Goblin King thought, awed by the beauty and spirit of this Mortal girl. The bedroom was redolent with childhood's dreams; toys, stuffed animals and books. By all appearances, it was the room of a cherished child, a slightly spoiled princess whose parents surely adored her above all. But, as Jareth knew, appearances could be deceiving. He had seen how they pushed her away, both her stepmother and the father who should have treasured her. To Karen, she was proof that her husband had once loved another woman, and the nagging suspicion that he loved Linda still made it impossible for the woman to care for her, or relate to step-daughter. To her father, she was a reminder of a woman he still guiltily loved, a woman who had rejected him.

Her loneliness had called to him as he was called to all children who were unwanted and he had watched her, aware that the child he spied on in his crystal ball was some thing special. She had the potential for greatness. He thought back to the confrontation in the throne room and smiled; she had proven today that she would use any power she was given for Good, that she could be trusted to subordinate her desires to other's needs. She had also displayed strong will, courage, an ability to work with others, to mistrust appearances and also to see through illusion. 

His eyes darkened, remembering how ambivalent he had felt in the ballroom. She was his protégée, he had wanted to see her succeed, to become aware of the nature of the ballroom, but he had also wanted to kiss her with an immediacy which surprised him. "She is but a child," he had reminded himself and he repeated this phrase in a low voice, as he looked down at the lovely dreamer. She tossed restlessly in her sleep, her long black hair a stark contrast to her virginal white nightgown. Her lashes fluttered and he froze, ready to disappear but after shifting and changing position she was still once again. She rested on her side now, her white hand curled against her cheek. She mumbled and Jareth could just make out the words "Dangers untold ...hardships" as he approached the bed. He stroked her hair, soothing her. "So lovely," he whispered almost in awe, "but still only a child."

He generally disliked the role of the seducer. It was generally uncomfortable to try to override the morals of a child. He frowned, remembering the last girl who had accepted his offers. Her hysterics at being told the Labyrinth was a test she had failed, was an unpleasant experience he did not like to remember. Sarah shifted again in her sleep and whispered "Toby." The Goblin King reached a conclusion: although she did not care much for her parents, she adored her baby brother. He would not rift her from her home just yet, he decided. A year or two would not make much difference and she could begin her training later.

He turned to go and stopped, unable to leave the sleeping girl without saying good-bye. Hating himself, torn between his desire and his reason, Jareth turned and walked over to the bed. As if aware of his presence, the girl smiled in her sleep. The smile was mysterious and alluring, a woman's smile in a girls face and Jareth could not keep from being drawn to it. "She's a child, not a woman" he repeated to himself. Nevertheless, unable to help himself, he bent down and placed a light kiss on her soft, downy cheek, conjuring a crystal and shaping it into a rose. Then he reached the window and, with a tender parting glance, flew away.

Sarah awoke to find her windows thrown open, with daylight streaming in, and a crystal rose on her pillow.

Is it any good? Should I continue. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism will be appreciated


	2. To Leave or not to Leave?

Disclaimer: Check the first chapter.

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Sarah sat on her bed stuffing things into a big jeans backpack, trembling with rage. A large purple bruise discolored her cheek. She had already thrown in her mother's photograph, two changes of clothes and her wallet. All my worldly goods, she thought ironically, looking over her room to see if she had forgotten anything vital. Her glance fell on the crystal rose in a vase on her bookshelf and she looked at it consideringly. Then, moved by an impulse she did not recognize she grabbed it and stuffed it into her bag along with the battered red book which lay near it.

She padded out of her room and glided past her parents room. Some parents, she thought. A father who could not look beyond her resemblance to her mother to see her personality and a step-mother, who could accuse her of trying to harm Toby. Even now, she trembled to think of it. He had been playing with a stuffed bear with loose button eyes and had bitten off and started to choke on one of the buttons. She had grabbed him and attempted to perform the Heimlich maneuver. Karen had run in, and seen Toby in obvious physical pain in Sarah's arms. Karen had snatched Toby from her and slapped her violently, luckily not before the button had popped up. Sarah had locked herself in her room and not responded to any of Karen's apologies and entreaties to come out. She was tired of forgiving the woman.

She paused at Toby's door. A year ago, only a few days after "The Incident" as she thought of it, her parents had decided that Toby was old enough to sleep alone. She hesitated, her hand gliding towards the doorknob and then reluctantly away, knowing that if she went in, she might not be able to leave. Reluctantly she passed by Toby's bedroom.

She dropped the two letters she had written on the kitchen table, one for her father and one for her mother and left the house. She had spent hours on those letters, unleashing for the first time the rejection she felt, telling her parents how they had hurt her. They might worry, she reasoned but both had their own lives and would soon forget her. "But what no one knew," she whispered softly, her voice low but full of delight "Was that the girl had saved enough money to leave home."

_Dear Father,_

_ _

_Please don't try to find me. I'm leaving because if I stayed any longer I would kill either Karen or myself. A year ago I resolved to put up with being treated like a maid to stay with you and Toby. Now I'm not so sure. Karen treats me like a servant, and you always take her side. Mom hasn't been in touch for ages and I'm sure she won't worry. I don't think you will either. Don't feel guilty. I can take care of myself. I'll be eighteen in six months and will try to call after that._

_ _

_Sarah _

She slipped out the back door, leaving the house she had grown up in with some reluctance. She walked silently through the sleeping streets of her neighborhood towards the bus station. As she padded through the streets, an owl hooted. She glanced around, suddenly alert. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but as she continued, an owl flew over her head. She whirled, hands up to protect her head. A tall man suddenly materialized in front of her. He wore conventional clothing, black pants and a black leather jacket. The dim light from the streetlamps faintly illuminated the man's face. By the light of the full moon, it looked very predatory, the jutting planes of harmonious but fierce. The moonlight seemed to catch in his almost white hair and made it almost glow. "Sarah," came the cruel sounding, slightly world-weary voice.

Sarah recoiled. It was HIM. The man who had haunted her dreams and nightmares for the past year stood in front of her and greeted her as if they were old friends. "Goblin King," she hissed. "Up past your bed-time aren't you?" he asked, his tone faintly mocking. "My bed-time is no concern of yours, Goblin King," she said, assuming a false air of bravado although she was trembling inside. What was he...Jareth doing here? Her friends hadn't come when she had called them. The only thing that kept her from dismissing the whole incident as a dream was the rose. He smirked "of course it is" he said matter of factly "Eight PM until you were eleven years old, Ten PM after that and lately One AM". Sarah blanched, realizing that he must have been spying on her for years. How often had he spied on her she wondered and blushed to think of what he might have seen. She felt furious at this violation of her privacy.

She opened her mouth to make an angry retort but Jareth held up a hand. "Please" he said in a gentle tone, one she had never heard him use, "I need to talk to you. If you want me to leave after you've heard me out, I shall." He looked at her consideringly. She had changed, but only in good ways, he decided. Her face more than fulfilled it's childhood promise. She looked beautiful in the moonlight, her face a contrast of dark hair and pale skin. Her red lips were full and pouting and perfectly natural, he knew. Her eyes still held that look of wondering joy in life which he had thought would fade with her childhood.He reached for her hand and began to lead her to a small park which lay to the left. Jareth's ungloved hand was unexpectedly warm and Sarah felt strangely light headed. "Is he using some sort of enchantment" she wondered.

It was a measure of how dazed Sarah was that she followed him without protest. Once they were seated on the bench in the park he began "Have you ever heard that the gods test their champions?". Sarah glanced at him, unable to see where this conversation was going. "Yes" she said hesitantly, her low voice sounding very loud in the silence "but I fail to see...". "The Labyrinth is a test Sarah" he interrupted impatiently. "For skill and courage among other things. The fae have a very low birth rate and our subjects, the goblins, the trolls, the fairies and countless others breed like rabbits and are immortal. Human Children, who pass the Labyrinth, are invited to the underground as administrators".

Sarah sat there in shock. A life in the underground she thought, dazed, where Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Dydamus are. Where there is magic, where there is ..Jareth. She caught herself at the last thought and began mentally castigating herself. He's arrogant, and rude and thinks nothing of spying on me, he's god knows how old and ran me through his Labyrinth like a rat in a maze AND he's not even human. She snuck a glance at her silent companion. His hair was as wild as ever and his face as beautiful. In repose it looked as if it had been carved out of a block of marble, harsh featured but with a strange, pale, beauty to it. The thin lips were strangely sensual and hesat silently beside her, giving her time to think. "How do I know you aren't lying" she asked more harshly than she had intended, angered at her own thoughts. The Goblin King laughed "Come now, Sarah, if I wanted to abduct you I could do it any time. If you don't want to come I'll drop you to that Greyhound station and leave". 

He meant it she realised, looking at him. If she refused he would walk out of her life and never come back. That thought brought an unexpected pang with it. "If.." she began shakily "If I went to the underground, what would I do?". He smiled, relieved that she had not rejected the offer out of hand. 

"There are twelve kingdoms in the Underground" he said. " If you come to the underground you'll spend time in all of them, learning from their rulers. At the end of three years you'll have a choice: to stay in the Underground as a paladin and take service with one of the kingdoms or to return to your world". He hoped she would accept. She was wasted in this world.

"You belong in the underground" he said persuasively "This mundane world kills you day by day. I've seen you lose the dreamer inside you, the part of you that is Sarah, bit by bit, day by day". Sarah drew back from him, studied his face, surprised by his passion. He had been surprised himself and he frowned. He had not meant to reveal so much of himself. "Why do you care?" she asked, slightly defensive "I've had to accept the world. It has no place for dreamers". Jareth smiled coldly "That's your step-mother speaking". He wouldn't mind killing the woman at all, he realized. At the mention of Karen Sarah had involuntarily touched her cheek. Jareth saw the bruise and scowled. Gently he touched her cheek and trailed his fingers over it. Sarah shivered as the cool fingers brushed her cheek. Inexplicably, she felt herself blushing. 

"It's hard not to care for someone you have watched since babyhood" Jareth continued. Sarah welcomed the outraged she felt at the reminder that he had been spying on her. It helped dispel the curious sensation she had felt at the touch of his hand on her cheek. "Spying, you mean" she said bitterly. "Semantics" the Goblin King replied "Now are you coming or not. We haven't got all night". The last bit was said impatiently.

Sarah felt bewildered by all that had happened in the last hour. "But.." she began, "What about my parents? and Toby?". Jareth looked at her strangely "You were perfectly wiling to walk out of their lives an hour ago" he said in a curiously hard tone "and you can chose to return to your world at any period before three years are up". Sarah looked at him consideringly. He was right, she realised. She had been willing to leave everyone. And returning to the underground had been a dream she had kept buried inside herself, not even daring to articulate it because it had seemed impossible."Done" she said firmly, extending her hand. Jareth took it and smiled. Anyone observing the park would have seen the seated figures on the bench vanish in a swirl of white light.

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Please review and tell me what you thought. I do plan to update this story but my finals are about to begin so it could take a while. I should be able to get one more chapter out by next week and then I'll have to stop writing for about a month.


	3. Not in Kansas

Not in Kansas 

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay. A-Level exams are awful. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I have an exam left so the next chapter might be a while in coming. I shouldn't have written this one but I couldn't help it. I had no idea that writing was addictive. 

Sarah looked around her as she fell to the floor. "I'm not in Kansas anymore huh?" she asked herself as she sprawled ungracefully to the ground. She was in a large room, paved with a material which seemed to be marble. The marble had streaks of gold and red running through it. The room was illuminated by a globe, which hovered close to the ceiling. Jareth landed with a bump beside her, frowning. Apparently he had messed up the teleport. "I thought you could do this stuff" Sarah snapped as she got up. "I can" Jareth replied irritably "but there seems to be an element of Chaos about you which messes up magic." A snort came from above them and Sarah looked up.

Standing there was an extremely lovely woman. She had masses of long white hair, which tumbled to her waist. A delicate crown of gold rested on her head. Her eyes were large and cat-like, an extremely unusual shade of amber highlighted by her black eyebrows and lashes. Her lips were full and red, although they were not perfectly shaped and her skin was a dark tan which looked golden. She wore a cream colored, abbreviated robe-like garment which came to her knees. It was open and underneath it she wore a white shirt. Her leggings were white with gold stripes running up the seams. A tight chocker made of a chain of silver and one of gold entwined suspended an amber colored gem in the cleft of her collarbone.

"Really, Jareth," she said in a musical voice "That was most clumsy of you." Sarah noted with amusement that the Goblin King stiffened defensively. "And it's not quite fair to blame your ineptitude on Sarah". The amber eyes turned towards her and the woman smiled. "Don't worry, Sarah, he probably isn't going to be one of your teachers." 

"I'd like to see you do better, Eleraine. _You have not mastered the basic teleport spell," Jareth retorted after a short pause. By the frown on his face Sarah judged that this Eleraine was not a good friend of his. "True," the woman conceded majestically, "But it's not __my job to leave the underground to recruit Paladins."_

"Sarah, allow me to introduce my elder sister Eleraine, Queen of the underground, by virtue of her marriage to his Majesty King Damrued the third," the Goblin King said formally, turning to Sarah, "She'll help you get settled in. Now if you'll excuse me ladies, I _do have a kingdom to run."_

"Not in the middle of the night you don't," Eleraine muttered under her breath as Jareth disappeared in a flash of glitter. "Honestly, brother of mine, the way you run from things you can't handle…"

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Eleraine paced the halls pensively, walking towards her bedroom. She had just gotten Sarah settled for the night. The child was sleepy and further explanations could wait for the morning. Eleraine entered her room and mechanically moved to the dressing table, sat down in front of it and began brushing her long, white hair. She closed her eyes, attempting to relieve some of the stress she felt. The girl was an exact replica of Vanessa and had brought back some unpleasant memories.

She closed her eyes as she drew her brush through her hair. Suddenly the brush was taken from her hand. Startled, she turned on the stool and tilted her head upward to meet her husband's twinkling brown eyes. "Tired much, Love?" he questioned as he drew the brush through her hair gently. She looked at him in the mirror. He was tall, with blond hair and brown eyes, and his thin lips were usually curled in a slight smile, as if the world was, for him, a happy place.

"You have no idea," Eleraine sighed, "Let me tell you about my day. While _you were off hunting dragons and generally being irresponsible __I was running __your kingdom, dealing with Tyranel, Ghalreigh and Isobel, all of who want to take the new Paladin to instruct. They argued about it until I told them that I'd decided to leave that decision to you." _

"Well," Damrued said, smiling smugly, "when that happens I always tell them that if they bug me about it anymore I definitely _won't give them the new paladin." _

"I wish I had thought of that," Eleraine said wistfully, "The day would have been _a lot easier."_

"Is Sarah like Vanessa?" Damrued asked. 

"In appearance, yes," Eleraine said, "but in character, perhaps not. At least I hope she's not." After her hair had been brushed she asked abruptly, "Rued, did we raise Jareth to think he could run from his problems?" Damrued looked at her enquiringly. "Why the sudden worry about Jareth, El?"

"I feel guilty," Eleraine said, "I know he's shut himself up in that isolated kingdom of his since Vanessa left, but I didn't make much of an effort to draw him out either." 

"Your memory is playing tricks on you, El," Damrued said matter of factly. "As I recall you made every effort to help him. We both did. He just wouldn't talk to us." 

"It's been a long time since he's taken an interest in anything except his kingdom," Eleraine remarked.

Damrued looked at his wife. She resembled her brother only a little although the white hair was a dead giveaway. "Hmm…" he said musingly, "It's not strictly accurate to say that he doesn't take interest in anything, he has been taking an interest in this new potential paladin recently. As I recall he was quite insistent that she be brought here." 

Eleraine grimaced. "I'd rather he wasn't interested in her. It only proves that he's still obsessed with Vanessa." 

"Regardless of the reason, he _is interested in the child. Maybe she could be used to draw him out……" Damrued said, speculating out loud. Eleraine snorted, "That might work, Love, except for the fact that he obviously doesn't want to be near her. He brought her here and vanished after unceremoniously dumping her on me." They prepared for bed in silence. _

Queen Eleraine was kissed awake by her husband the next morning and greeted with the words, "El, about your brother, I have a plan………"

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	4. Be Careful What You Wish For....

Disclaimer: check first chapter

Disclaimer: check first chapter.

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Be careful what you wish for

Sarah hovered in that realm between dream and wake and smiled. To think she had dreamed about being taken to the underground by Jareth. She stretched and was surprised that her hand did not hit the headboard of her bed. She opened her eyes with a gasp. So the events of the previous night weren't a dream. She smiled and rolled out of bed.

Now what? she wondered as she looked at the room properly for the first time. Last night she had been too worn out to notice the room. It had a high ceiling from which hung one of the globes of light she had noticed earlier. The four poster bed with blue curtains was in the center of the room on a dais. A dressing table rested against one of the walls. Sarah went to the table and began brushing her hair.

She smiled at her reflection and then paused. There was no sign of Karen's hand print on her face. Jareth must have removed it with the pain of the blow she realized. She smiled at the thought that he would care enough to do that. If he cares about you, a skeptical inner voice asked, why did he leave as soon as he could last night? 

There was a knock on the door and Sarah called "Come in." Elleraine walked into the room carrying a black shirt and jeans. 

"I brought you some clothes, Sarah. Later, your assigned teacher will show you how to materialize the clothing you want."

"Thank you" Sarah said and smiled, pleased at the thought of learning such magic.

After she had dressed Elleraine told Sarah that the three fey rulers who'd asked to be allowed to train her were in the castle.

"Jareth said there were twelve kingdoms," Sarah said petulantly, "So why are only three rulers here?"

Eleraine smiled. If nothing else, Sarah had inherited Vanessa's trait of believing herself infinitely desirable. "Only the ones without assistants are allowed to apply" she said soothingly. 

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Sarah sat at the table attempting to eat the enormous breakfast she had been served. Under the cover of eating however, she darted interested glances around the table. She was seated at the queen's right hand. There were three other people at the table and she observed them with fascination. She had been introduced to them before breakfast. She had been disappointed not to see Jareth there and wondered why. He's a smug, arrogant, rude slob, she told herself and wondered if her breakfast companions were any better.

Next to her sat Lord Isvent of the Dwarvish realm. He had black hair and blue eyes and with his regular features appeared quite handsome, but there was something in his air which Sarah mistrusted. He turned to Eleraine and asked " Will we be having the pleasure of his majesty's company this morning, Cousin?"The Queen muttered an affirmative reply and continued her conversation with Lady Isobel about the difficulties of maintaining a castle with sub-human servants.

Lord Tyranel of The Troll kingdom sat next to Sarah. His red hair and green eyes blazed and his voice was uncomfortably loud as he blared "Enough polite chit-chat Eleraine. Which of us is going to receive the new Paladin?" 

Sarah stiffened. He was demanding that he be allowed to train her and he hadn't even bothered to learn her name. She definitely didn't want to learn from Tyranel, she decided. He looked at her the way that Toby looked at a new toy and she didn't like it. She suppressed an inner longing for her brother.

"Yes, Elleraine, do tell," Queen Isobel said silkily. "In my opinion, you ought to let me train the poor child. Neither Tyranel nor Isvent have any assistants and it would be quite improper to let them have charge of a young girl." Isobel then looked Sarah up and down and sniffed "Although, I don't believe that _she would be in any danger from my colleagues."_

Sarah stiffened at the implied insult and returned Isobel's appraising gaze. She was reminded of that old adage "between a rock and a hard place." Living with Isobel didn't seem an appealing option but it might be better than living with Isvent or Tyranel. 

Queen Elleraine smiled serenely with an air of mischief. Her amber eyes danced as if she knew something no one else did. "I have decided to leave that decision to my lord husband" she said.

Sarah wondered what that naughty look meant for her and decided that it was time she began standing up for herself; after all, she hadn't escaped Karen to find herself bossed about by other people. She cleared her throat "I'm sorry to interrupt, but don't I get a say in all this?"

"No, child, you do not," said the Lady Isobel decidedly in a tone of voice which was eerily reminiscent of Karen.

"You will get a choice, Sarah," Elleraine said reassuringly "but only after you've graduated. For now, you'll be placed with one of the Lords who have no help and next year you'll live here, in Avalon getting to know and learning from all of the Lords" 

Elleraine was nice, Sarah thought. Her resemblance to Jareth made her seem like the only familiar thing in the room. The white hair was, illogical as it seemed, reassuring. Sarah received another of those leers from Tyranel and concealed an expression of distaste as she glared calmly at him. Jareth for all his mockery seemed preferable to _these monsters. She had never dreamed that she would compare Jareth favorably to someone and was surprised to find herself wishing that he could teach her._

King Damrued walked in at the end of breakfast saying brightly "Good day all. I was detained by official business." 

Sarah noted in amusement that all three of the fey looked like they didn't believe him. Isvent snorted and Isobel said smoothly "Perhaps you were deciding, Damrued, which of us gets to train Sarah."

"None of you gets to train Sarah" Damrued said in a final tone of voice.

"But we are the only three without assistants" Tyranel snarled "and as our need is greatest, the laws of the kingdom clearly state that one of us should get her"

"He's right," said Isobel "we three have the greatest need. None of us have assistants."

"Neither," said Damrued smiling wickedly "does my brother in law, Jareth."

Sarah bit back a gasp and her memory played back for her, in her grandmother's silky voice "Be careful what you wish for, little one…." 

"He has been very vocal about not wanting…." began Tyranel stiffly. 

He was cut off by Isobel's outraged voice "You can't send the poor child to live with that social recluse he'd kill…………."

Damrued cleared his throat and said firmly "My Lords and Ladies, I am the king and my decision stands."

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A/N: I'd like to thank my reviewers especially Sarina Fannel, Skitzofreak, Quote and Dawn[][1] The next chapter is almost done. I'm in the market for a beta reader. Please apply to Shy_Introvert@yahoo.com . My poor brother _tries but he's not much interested in the Labyrinth. No rotten tomatoes please, I'm not very satisfied with this chapter myself. The next chapter will have more J/S interaction, I promise._

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=Directory-AuthorProfile&UserID=43776



	5. In The Goblin Kingdom

Sarah stuffed her belongings into a bag

In The Goblin Kingdom

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Sarah stuffed her belongings into a bag. _I seem to be making a habit of this_, she noted wryly, darkly amused. Eleraine had promised that she would be assigned a different tutor if Jareth was intolerable and Sarah meant to take her up on it.

And he _had been intolerable. All she had done was her job. He couldn't have expected her to let that tower fall on that mixed crowd of goblins, fairies, elves and dwarfs, could he? Then why was he so mad?_

She remembered him rushing to her prone figure, not bothering with the usual shower of glitter which usually accompanied his appearances. He had linked with her, seemingly concerned, doing his best to restore the natural energy she had expended on the telekinesis. And then, when she was well, he had rebuked her severely.

Sarah flinched, remembering that _Conversation. "_What the devil were you thinking of, Sarah. Oh don't tell me, let me guess…. You weren't thinking. If I hadn't noticed the problem, you might have _died_ " 

Jareth, she had discovered, frequently lost his temper. It came, she supposed, of being a spoiled, reclusive king. His temper tantrums reminded her of Toby. She had outraged him by making the comparison aloud when he asked her why she found his anger funny. Before Sarah had left for the Goblin kingdom, Elleraine had asked her to make allowances for Jareth, as he had lived alone for about fifty years. 

Sarah wondered why he had lived so solitary a life and then ruthlessly suppressed her curiosity. Jareth the Goblin King was no longer her concern.

Jareth sat in the darkened throne room of his most used castle at the edge of the Goblin city of Ghenotosh. It was in much better order than the one Sarah had seen briefly during her earlier trip to the Labyrinth. That one, he remembered with amusement, was kept in a deliberate state of disrepair.

He frowned, reminded of the reason he was brooding. That idiotic girl had almost killed herself today!!! Vanessa had been much more careful with magic, he remembered. More dull….? He forced himself away from that thought, disturbed by the mental infidelity to his lost love. She had not been dull, he argued with himself, just cautious. 

_That was why she left_, the treacherous voice inside him whispered_, __because she was cautious_. Jareth decided that he did not like the way his subconscious could make a virtue sound so bad.

Anyway, Sarah had demonstrated incontrovertibly today, that she was not an exact replica of her grandmother. Vanessa would never have attempted a spell she was not ready for, not even to save the lives of a substantial portion of Ghenotosh. 

So she was not a reincarnation of his love. That was a disappointment. Jareth closed his eyes, attempting to avert an on coming headache. If she was not Vanessa re-born than why did she obsess him so? Why did he find himself caught by her eyes, her voice, her laugh? She had been so familiar to him, even in the Labyrinth. He had _known her on an instinctive level, known when she would flinch from him, that she would run in the ball room, that she would not give up her brother._

But, the insidious voice that was part of him said, Vanessa would have sacrificed _ten brothers for something she wanted. Jareth swore, his muttered oath disturbing the silence of the darkened throne room. Why did he insist on comparing Sarah and Vanessa?_

Now that he knew that the girl wasn't what he had thought her, he should return her to his sister and be done with it. He would then be able to resume his comfortable seclusion. The thought was not so tempting anymore. It was enjoyable, he realized, to teach Sarah, to watch her face light up as she grasped a difficult concept. She was bright and learned well and it was refreshing to have someone around who was not afraid of him. Even her impudence was refreshing. She also showed signs of becoming a capable second in command.

He summoned a crystal bubble and conjured up Sarah. She was packing, he noted with consternation, and there were tear stains on her face. In a breath he teleported to her room.

"What are you doing Sarah?" Jareth demanded roughly, concealing his inner panic at the thought of her leaving behind an autocratic manner.

Sarah stiffened then whirled towards him "It's considered polite to knock" she prissily informed him. She was not quite sure what to make of his appearance and suppressed her awareness that they were in her bedroom. She frowned, looking at the glitter on her bed "You've messed up my bed."

"If you're leaving it's not your bed anymore, is it?" Jareth questioned his expression inscrutable.

Sarah wondered why his words hurt her, why she felt sad about leaving this place she had come to only two weeks ago. She had made no friends here and there was no one to talk to but the servants. She had been disappointed to learn that Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus were not in Ghenotosh, that they lived in the Labyrinth. Jareth advanced towards her, invading her personal space, and she backed away from him. 

"I'm here to apologize," Jareth said, when it became clear that she wouldn't do anything but silently observe him. "I shouldn't have lost my temper"

Sarah was speechless. An apology was the last thing she had expected from the commanding Goblin King. She was aware that the smart thing to do would be to shut up and accept but she was feeling daring today.

"Why did you get so mad?" she asked hesitantly. 

"I was afraid you'd die" said Jareth, surprising both himself and Sarah. He was astonished as he realised that it was true, that he had been afraid that she would die.

Jareth's unexpected disclosure made Sarah bold. "I didn't think you cared" she said matter of factly.

"As I said earlier, my dear, it's hard to avoid caring about someone you've watched since babyhood"

Sarah felt her curiosity stir. "Why _have you watched me since babyhood? I could understand watching me after I went through the Labyrinth, but why before?"_

Jareth caught himself on a sigh. She was bright, this girl and she had asked the one question he had been hoping to avoid. He sat down on the bed and motioned for her to do the same.

Sarah sat down at the head of the bed, as far away from Jareth as she could.

Jareth observed this impassively, with an inner smile. "Your grandmother came to the Labyrinth as a girl," he began "but chose to return to your world later. As magic is inborn, I observed her descendants to see if they were suited to a life Underground. Your mother I excluded early on. Extreme selfishness is a disqualifying characteristic, and your mother had it in spades"

Sarah's expression became withdrawn as Jareth spoke of her mother. She had been selfish, Sarah realized, always putting herself first. The pain of her abandonment throbbed momentarily, like a scab which had been picked at.

"You, on the other hand, showed promises" Jareth continued "and so I observed you to see whether you were suited for a life here" _and also because I hoped that you were a reincarnation of Vanessa, he added mentally, his face showing a trace of sadness._

Sarah looked at Jareth, her mind in a whirl. Her grandmother, who had died before her birth, had also come to the underground. "Why did she leave?" Sarah asked, knowing by Jareth's expression that he wasn't telling her everything about her grandmother.

"Because she missed her home" Jareth said evasively, knowing that he could not tell Sarah the real reason.

Sarah sensed that Jareth was being evasive, but did not press the issue. "I don't miss home" she declared brightly, trying to cheer Jareth up.

Jareth smiled at her. "If you want," he offered diffidently "I'll teach you telekinesis tomorrow. And later we can go visit the Labyrinth." He offered these things as bribes, the closest he could bring himself to asking her to stay. 

Sarah answered with a smile._ What happened to leaving!!!! her self preservation screamed at her. Common sense dictated that she leave this aloof, dangerously appealing Goblin King. To hell with common sense, she decided and began unpacking her bags_

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A/N: I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I live for reviews. J


	6. Through a Crystal, Darkly

Disclaimer: See the first chapter

Disclaimer: See the first chapter.

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Through a crystal, darkly

Sarah tossed the crystal up and caught it; fascinated by the changes of color it exhibited. One moment it was clear, the next it was tinged with red or golden or blue light. It was much like it's giver, Sarah decided, very changeable. 

She sighed, reminded of an issue which often confused her. Jareth blew hot and then cold, sometimes treating her like an unwelcome guest, sometimes a student and sometimes a friend or something closer. If he'd only decided what he wanted to be to her, she thought with irritation, she'd know how to treat him. But as soon as she was fed up enough to revolt at his detached behavior and intolerable workload, he'd change. He'd treat her to scandalous stories about the rulers of the Underground over candlelit dinners set up in beautiful nooks in the garden, walk her to her bedroom door when it was time for bed, kiss her hands and in general behave as though flustering her was his only goal in life. She liked him best when he was like that, Sarah decided, when he treated her as an equal and a friend. There was one topic that seemed off-limits even when Jareth was in his most relaxed mood though. After that one conversation, Jareth had never spoken of her grandmother. Perhaps they were enemies, Sarah mused, and perhaps she reminded him of her.

Sarah looked into the crystal speculatively. Surprisingly, the inside of the enchanted globe seemed black. Concentrate on what you want to see, Jareth's voice echoed in her mind, and the crystal will show you or not, depending on the strength of your will. 

Sarah cupped the crystal in her hands and focused on her speculations about Jareth and her Grandmother. The crystal glowed and then cleared.

A man and a woman were visible in the crystal. The man was bent over the woman, kissing her cheek. They stood in a beautiful glade in a forest. Unusual violet flowers bordered the glade. The woman's back was to the crystal and the only part of her visible was her long black hair. The man straightened and Sarah saw glittering mismatched eyes. It was Jareth, only younger, his face unlined, his eyes without that hint of sorrow they had acquired. Sarah strained to see the woman's face. As if answering her unspoken command, the view in the crystal shifted and Sarah gasped. It was her own face. 

After looking more carefully, Sarah realized that the woman in the crystal was probably her grandmother. The couple in the crystal seemed entranced with each other, lost to the world in their visible happiness. Vanessa glowed and Jareth was happier than Sarah had ever seen him.

Sarah sat down hard on her bed, her mind whirling in shock. That sneak!!! She thought experiencing a curious sense of betrayal at the idea that Jareth might see her as a replacement for Vanessa. They did resemble each other a great deal. After thinking about it for a while, she decided not to mention the matter to Jareth: after all she wasn't sure that the crystal had shown her something which actually happened. I'll ask Hoggle, she resolved, knowing that it had been a while since she visited her friend.

Sarah was recalled to her surroundings by a knock on her door. She muttered a curse, remembering that she was late for class, and called "Just a minute." 

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"Concentrate, Sarah" Jareth snapped as she struggled to call up an image on the crystal. 

Sarah gave a long suffering sigh and asked irritably "Haven't we done enough for one day?" 

Jareth gave a smug smile "no, we have not" he said in a decided tone of voice. 

"I hate you" Sarah muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something, my dear?" Jareth questioned with an innocent smile.

Sarah gritted her teeth, wondering if that was what Jareth had also called Vanessa. She was exhausted; using the crystal to spy on Hoggle had been difficult, no matter what Jareth said. "So, what do we do now?" Sarah questioned in an artificially bright tone of voice.

"Now that you've learned to use the crystal to spy in the Underground," Jareth said, "you should try to use it to spy on your own world."

"I dislike the word _spy" _Sarah said haughtily as she closed her eyes and focused on her home, thinking of the people she wanted to see. Toby, Toby, Toby she chanted mentally. When she opened her eyes, the crystal was showing a table, set for dinner. Karen was making trips to and from the kitchen while her father and Toby waited at the table. Sarah smiled maliciously. It looked like Karen no longer had an unpaid slave to help her.

"Very good" said Jareth approvingly. "Now, try to focus on each person."

Toby's face filled the crystal. He had grown and his face had lost some of it's chubbyness. Sarah felt a pang of homesickness, as strong as it was unexpected. She had not really understood that leaving home would mean never hugging Toby again. Sarah swallowed and reminded herself that even if she had stayed, she would have left home in some years. To distract herself Sarah shifted the view to her father.

"Homesick, Sarah?" Jareth questioned mockingly.

"Not a bit" Sarah said with false bravado. 

Her father's face shown in the crystal. It was lined and seemed older than it had been. There was more grey in his hair and Sarah wondered if his ageing was a consequence of her leaving. "He looks old" she said aloud, feeling slightly worried.

"He and your stepmother have been arguing constantly since you left" Jareth said impassively. "He blames her for driving you away."

"How do you know?" Sarah asked, startled that Jareth had troubled to keep track of her family. Perhaps he did care for her in her own right, rather than as a reflection of her grandmother.

"Once you are as experienced as I with the crystal, you'll be able to hear people as well as see them" Jareth explained with a superior look.

"I meant to ask, why did you bother?" Sarah questioned, aware that Jareth had misunderstood her question on purpose. 

"I thought that you might like to know someday" Jareth said looking

inscrutible. Then changing the subject he asked quickly, "Shall we go to dinner?"

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At dinner Jareth was distant. Sarah was a bit wary, guessing that his mood was a result of letting her know that he had kept track of her family for her. 

"Jareth" Sarah asked, figuring that a question as to Underground politics was safe "why doesn't Eleraine rule the Goblin Kingdom? Aren't women allowed to rule?" Sarah asked about Eleraine indirectly because she wanted to know about Jareth's relationship with his sister. It puzzled her that Eleraine had mentioned Jareth fondly and often in the week Sarah had spent with her before coming to the goblin kingdom while Jareth mentioned Eleraine not at all.

"Two rulers of the Underground may not marry each other," Jareth said in his teacher's voice "so Eleraine gave up her right to rule when she married Damrued." 

Sarah absorbed this in silence and concentrated on her food. After a while she commented "She must love Damrued a lot, to give up a kingdom for him".

"Yes" Jareth agreed and went back to staring at his plate. 

Sarah gritted her teeth. It was so_ hard_ to make conversation with Jareth at times. She felt uncomfortable sitting silently and often tried to discuss inconsequential things but talking to Jareth could be like pulling teeth. It didn't help that he was the only person around, if she wanted intelligent conversation. The goblins were often amusing, but hardly company and she saw Hoggle and the others about once a month. She looked at Jareth through her lashes. He looked as beautiful as the moon, with his white hair and pale skin, and as distant, lost in his own thoughts. He was very hard to get close to, Sarah realized, wondering why she was trying. _You know why you want to understand him_, her conscience accused_, you just won't accept it_. Sarah looked at Jareth, jolted from her reflections by his voice.

"Eleraine raised me," he confided abruptly "My parents died some years after her wedding, when I was nine years old."

"How did they die?" Sarah asked, aware that the fey died for no reason but extremely advanced age or illness. She could not entirely suppress her elation at the fact that Jareth had lowered the icy wall of his reserve to tell her about his childhood.

"My father died on a dragon hunt" he said in a voice which contained remembered pain "and my mother killed herself a week after" he finished angrily. Jareth stabbed viciously at his plate, obviously regretting revealing so much of himself. 

How could his mother leave him so, Sarah wondered realizing that she and Jareth had more in common than was apparent. They both felt abandoned by their mothers. "She must have loved him very much" Sarah offered tentatively, wondering if that was any consolation to him.

Apparently it was not because Jareth countered with a bitter smile "She must have loved me very little." 

They finished their dinner in silence.

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A/N: This chapter was ready for posting a week ago but I'm spending summer at a place with no Internet connection. Hopefully the next one will be done soon. Keep reviewing, it's the only way I know whether I'm getting it right.


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